GIMME A SIGN! and A BABY FOR ME? Return to Soho Playhouse Next Month

New York-based writer, comedian and storyteller Bailey Swilley will bring two of her solo shows to SoHo Playhouse for a four-performance engagement this September.

Gimme A Sign! will be presented September 17 and 20 at 7 p.m., while A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please! will play September 18 and 19 at 7 p.m.

Swilley previously brought Gimme A Sign! to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024 and 2025. The show has also appeared as an official selection of the United Solo Festival, Gotham Storytelling Festival, Days of the Dead Festival and Unicycle Festival, where it received the Audience Choice Award.

Her newer show, A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please!, arrives at SoHo Playhouse following a 2026 New York Fringe run.

About GIMME A SIGN!

Combining comedy, storytelling and a slideshow, Gimme A Sign! follows Swilley's experiences with mourning and her search for signs from beyond following the death of her father.

Moving between childhood and adulthood, Swilley explores grief, empathy, family and the sometimes unconventional things people choose to believe in as they attempt to make sense of loss.

The production is directed by Timothy Dakin-Dunn, a multidisciplinary theatre artist whose work has included directing, choreography, writing and performance. He currently serves as Assistant Artistic Director at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, New York, and previously spent more than a decade working within the UCB comedy scene.

About A BABY FOR ME? NO THANK YOU, PLEASE!

A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please! explores Swilley's decision to remain child-free and the expectations surrounding motherhood that intensified after she got married.

Using comedy, projection and theatrical effects, Swilley recounts her attempts to understand the pressure she experienced from family, friends and society. Her search takes her through books, social media, podcasts, online discussions and conversations with other women before an IUD-related medical emergency forces her to confront questions surrounding identity, autonomy and what she actually wants.

"This show is deeply honest and vulnerable, and sometimes I worry that my audiences will judge me or think I'm a jerk because of this stance, but ultimately, it's my truth," Swilley said. "Also, the show is funny, so if people think badly of me, at least they'll be laughing!"

The production is directed by Desmond Thorne, a filmmaker and comedy director who founded the independent sketch group Nerds on Fire and has worked with BoogieManja and the Magnet Theater. He is also a film programmer at Nitehawk Cinema.

About Bailey Swilley

Bailey Swilley is a New York-based writer, comedian and storyteller originally from Memphis, Tennessee. She is a Moth StorySLAM winner and has twice been a New York Times Recommended Pick. Her storytelling work has been featured on RISK!, Story Collider and Love Hurts.

Swilley brought Don't Tell Our Bosses and Gimme A Sign! to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has hosted the monthly storytelling show We ❤️ a Theme at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn since 2021. As a screenwriter, her Better Things spec script was a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival.

Performance Schedule